Narrative:

Prior to departing estacada airport for portland international airport, I received via telephone an IFR clearance from the mcminnville FSS at xa:00Z. The clearance was as follows: small transport X is cleared to the portland international airport via direct portland international airport. Climb and maintain 6000', takeoff time is xb:ooz. Contact portland approach when airborne. After taking off at xb:ooz, I contacted portland approach. Portland approach advised me that they had no IFR clearance and assigned me a transponder code, instructing me to maintain VFR. I advised the controller that I was unable to maintain VFR. The controller displayed a hostile and highly irritated attitude asking me to copy a telephone number and contact approach control after landing. During my conversation with approach control they told me that they had not received an IFR clearance for me. I filed my flight plan with mcminnville FSS at xb:ooz and received my clearance shortly after. As far as I can tell, this flight was conducted in compliance with current far and aim procedures. I feel that it was highly inappropriate for the controller to interrogate me in flight while in IMC. His actions seriously degraded the safety of this flight by increasing pilot tension over an FAA administrative error. It would have been much more appropriate for the flight to have been handled in the normal manner. The misunderstanding should have been cleared up on the ground. Callback conversation with reporter revealed following information. Reporter said that he filed his flight plan with FSS off the airport about 15 mins away and received a release to be airborne within 15 mins. He tried to contact approach control from the ground. He could hear them, but could not talk to them. He has received a letter from the FAA stating that an investigation is underway for entering IMC west/O proper authority/authorized from approach control. Suspect that he misinterp FSS statement concerning departure release.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT DEP NON TWR ARPT AND ENTERED IMC WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE OF ADJACENT APCH CTL FAC.

Narrative: PRIOR TO DEPARTING ESTACADA ARPT FOR PORTLAND INTL ARPT, I RECEIVED VIA TELEPHONE AN IFR CLRNC FROM THE MCMINNVILLE FSS AT XA:00Z. THE CLRNC WAS AS FOLLOWS: SMT X IS CLRED TO THE PORTLAND INTL ARPT VIA DIRECT PORTLAND INTL ARPT. CLB AND MAINTAIN 6000', TKOF TIME IS XB:OOZ. CONTACT PORTLAND APCH WHEN AIRBORNE. AFTER TAKING OFF AT XB:OOZ, I CONTACTED PORTLAND APCH. PORTLAND APCH ADVISED ME THAT THEY HAD NO IFR CLRNC AND ASSIGNED ME A TRANSPONDER CODE, INSTRUCTING ME TO MAINTAIN VFR. I ADVISED THE CTLR THAT I WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN VFR. THE CTLR DISPLAYED A HOSTILE AND HIGHLY IRRITATED ATTITUDE ASKING ME TO COPY A TELEPHONE NUMBER AND CONTACT APCH CTL AFTER LNDG. DURING MY CONVERSATION WITH APCH CTL THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD NOT RECEIVED AN IFR CLRNC FOR ME. I FILED MY FLT PLAN WITH MCMINNVILLE FSS AT XB:OOZ AND RECEIVED MY CLRNC SHORTLY AFTER. AS FAR AS I CAN TELL, THIS FLT WAS CONDUCTED IN COMPLIANCE WITH CURRENT FAR AND AIM PROCS. I FEEL THAT IT WAS HIGHLY INAPPROPRIATE FOR THE CTLR TO INTERROGATE ME IN FLT WHILE IN IMC. HIS ACTIONS SERIOUSLY DEGRADED THE SAFETY OF THIS FLT BY INCREASING PLT TENSION OVER AN FAA ADMINISTRATIVE ERROR. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE APPROPRIATE FOR THE FLT TO HAVE BEEN HANDLED IN THE NORMAL MANNER. THE MISUNDERSTANDING SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLRED UP ON THE GND. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR SAID THAT HE FILED HIS FLT PLAN WITH FSS OFF THE ARPT ABOUT 15 MINS AWAY AND RECEIVED A RELEASE TO BE AIRBORNE WITHIN 15 MINS. HE TRIED TO CONTACT APCH CTL FROM THE GND. HE COULD HEAR THEM, BUT COULD NOT TALK TO THEM. HE HAS RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE FAA STATING THAT AN INVESTIGATION IS UNDERWAY FOR ENTERING IMC W/O PROPER AUTH FROM APCH CTL. SUSPECT THAT HE MISINTERP FSS STATEMENT CONCERNING DEP RELEASE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.